This invention relates to modular or vaned rotary engines, and more particularly to vaned rotary engines that can be configured to have separate modules or cycles that can be optimized depending upon the application for this modular or vaned rotary engine.
Engines generally have several cycles or stages that occur to get power from fuel. Typical engines have two or four cycles. The two cycle engine has an intake cycle and an expansion cycle. The four cycle engine can be described as follows: intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust. All internal combustion engines follow a cycle similar to this, typically the Otto or diesel cycle and have various efficiencies and output. While reciprocating compressors can be good compressors by using mechanical advantage during the compression cycle, it does not yield a good overall engine. Vane style pumps are typically used for high volume, low pressure applications. Vane style pumps however, are not very efficient in the compression cycle but do provide an advantage in the expansion cycle. The embodiments disclosed herein utilizing a vane style pump having five cycles described as intake, compression, combustion, expansion and exhaust or a modified Brayton cycle.
Most engine art accomplishes these cycles by incorporating the necessary elements into the engine itself or a single unit with necessary compromises. This can be beneficial if an engine is being designed for a particular application, but can be inefficient if the engine is being used for a different application. Also, if the design parameters for the device change after the engine design or if the application requires more versatility it can be advantageous to be able to swap in and out various modules. Some of these engine cycles can be optimized by using things such as turbo chargers, timing, fuel and other methods, but primarily, once an engine is designed and built, little variation in the primary cycle parameters can occur.
The devices disclosed in this application have the benefit of having elements that can be modular in design meaning that many of the operating variables can be adjusted, changed or optimized such as timing, compression ratio, speed, thermal and volumetric efficiencies, power output, fuel type, and heat rates. This also means that for example, the compressor can be optimized or adjusted for the type of application that the engine is going to be used for, as can the combustion element, expansion element and exhaust element. Other engine variables such as fuel types, speed, power output, and heat rates can either be adjusted in an existing module or another module can be swapped out that better accomplishes the engine goals. These adjustments can be mechanically or electrically driven and either accomplished manually or automatically based on computer control.
In these embodiments, a vaned rotary engine or expansion chamber can be used where it is most efficient, in the expansion or power generation cycle while other elements can be used where they are most efficient. This modular engine development provides for much greater variation of output parameters as far as the efficiency, horsepower, torque, operating rpm, exhaust byproducts or emissions and others which can be varied depending upon the application for the engine.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a Modular Engine.